Man Down
by Miscellaneous Thief
Summary: Private has always looked up to Skipper as a role model. But what happens when this leads Private to get hurt and/or possibly killed? Sequel to It's a Heck of a Town. Rated for possible death.
1. Chapter 1

Man Down

A _Penguins of Madagascar _fanfic by Miscellaneous Thief

A/N: Hi peoples! Welcome to chapter one of my new story! If you haven't read It's a Heck of a Town yet, I suggest you read it first. This takes place during the third week of June. Also,the plot of this story was inspired by _Hot Wheels!: Battle Force 5._

Disclaimer- Still trying to convince them to let me own part of Pom. Maybe if I got that restraining order removed...

Chapter 1- A Copy Cat's Mistake

"Alright men, and woman, move in!" Skipper whisper ordered.

In a fluid movement, we all dove into the ventilation shaft of Blowhole's newest lair. Which, the guys told me, was right on top of his old lair. Idiot, I thought. This just made it too easy to find him. Maybe too easy.

I mentally shook myself as I stomach- glided deeper into the building. According to Skipper, Blowhole had some 'diabolical' plans to freeze the equator, so that the whole world would enter a second ice age and kill all humans. How this was supposed to work, I have no idea. I wondered if this could possibly be a trap, or just Skipper's paranoia getting to me.

With a wave of his flipper, Skipper, who had taken point, signaled us to stop. We all instantly leaped up, silent as can be. Until further notice, this was stealth mission.

Skipper glanced down the shaft of the crossroad we were at, then signaled us to move on.

We turned right and continued. I still thought this was way too easy-

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDERS ON LEVEL THREE! REPEAT, INTRUDERS ON LEVEL THREE!"

-crap. Thought too soon.

"Well, so much for surprising 'em" Mary remarked rhetorically.

Skipper shot her a look, then said "Our cover has been compromised, so let's just find the nearest grille and do what we do best"

I nodded. I knew what that meant, and I couldn't wait to kick some crustacean behind.

We continued on until we found the metal grille we were looking for. I peered down. Right below our very feet was a small battery of lobsters, armed with poles and standing at attention. probably on the look-out for us. I smirked, I bet they weren't expecting us to just drop out of the roof. This was going to be fun.

"OK men," Mary cleared her throat "_And_ woman, move in!"

In a joint effort, all six of us pulled up the grille. Skipper gave a silent count down from three, then abruptly pushed me out of the vent. Luckily, said penguin's training had sped up my reaction time, so I quickly did a flip to slow my decent and landed near a lobster. I punched him in the face.

"What the heck was that for!" I yelled at Skipper, who was still in the vent.

To reply, Skipper dove beak first out the vent, did a triple flip, and landed gracefully next to me.

"Show off" I muttered under my breath.

Skipper smirked at me nonchalantly as he started to punching random lobsters.

"Just testing your reflexes, cadet"

"Whatever." I said as I drove a lobster into the nearest wall.

Mary was next to join us. She did a flip similar to mine, and landed next to me.

"Hey." She greeted.

Then she jumped up as two lobsters rushed at her from two different locations, then crashed into each other.

"Idiot" She remarked.

I didn't see Kowalski or Rico come down, but Kowalski suddenly appeared next to me, and I could hear Rico's crazy laughter in the background as he upchucked his favorite chainsaw. That meant only Private was left in the vent. I took out a lobster and glanced at the vent in time to catch Private as he dove out. Only too late did I realize that he was going to try and copy Skipper's flip. He messed up on the second flip, and was now heading for the concrete fast.

"Private!" I called.

Luckily, Skipper had extremely good reflexes. He kicked a lobster to where Private was going to land. And just in time too, for Private landed at the exact same moment as the lobster got there, so his fall was cushioned.

"Private!" I called again. I tobogganed over to him (I could finally do it with out crashing into popcorn stands) just as he was picking himself.

"Private, are you OK? How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, concerned.

"Aly, you don't have fingers anymore. Remember?" Private said.

I let out a sigh of relief "Oh, yeah. Right. Old habits die hard, I guess."

Suddenly Private jumped to his feet and and punched a lobster that was trying to sneak up behind me.

"Thanks." I said.

And then we rejoined the fight. As I continued to knock out lobsters, I soon found myself separated from Private and back to back with Skipper instead.

"He looks up to you, you know." I shouted over my shoulders.

"Who? Private?" Skipper questioned.

"Yeah, him. You may not realize it, but Private looks up to you as a role model. You need to watch doing things like that triple flip earlier, he could seriously hurt himself trying to copy you."

Skipper made a skeptical noise "You worry too much, cadet. Private's a tough solider!"

"Just be careful, OK?" I asked.

Skipper sighed "Fine, I'll-"

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SWEET SARDINES IS GOING ON HERE?" Yelled a certain evil dolphin as he stood on his moped.

Everybody froze, lobsters included, as Blowhole swept the room with his eyes. The expression on his face was when he noticed almost all of his lobster battalion were unconscious was priceless. I wish I had a camera.

"What's wrong, Hole-Blow, are you losing?" I sneered with fake sympathy.

Blowhole glared at me "Ah, pathetic human, we meet again."

"Yeah, miss us?" Mary retorted. I laughed.

"Enjoy your laughter, humans and peng-oo-ins, it won't last long." He then glanced at all the lobsters just standing there "What are you waiting for? Attack!"

And the battle resumed. We continued to kick lobster butt. We had already defeated over half of his unit by the time Blowhole had arrived. Blowhole was fighting a losing battle, and I think he knew it too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Skipper do the Corkscrew on an unsuspecting lobster. Skipper had bragged earlier that morning that only he could do the Corkscrew- oh no. With a great sense of foreboding, I turned and looked for Private. Mary and Kowalski were fighting back-to-back in a corner where some lobster stupidly tried to corner them, Rico was having fun with his chainsaw, Skipper was finishing off several lobsters, and Private, I realized horribly, was about to do the Corkscrew on Blowhole.

"Private, don't!" I yelled, but I was too late.

Already in motion, Private jumped up several feet and began his twisted descent towards the evil dolphin. Blowhole, either alerted because of my yell or that he'd simply been watching Private the whole time- it didn't matter at the moment- easily stepped out of the way in time to watch Private crash into the wall.

"Private!" I yelled again.

Then everything seemed to go in slow motion. Blowhole turned to grab something off a nearby table. I began to run towards Private. I had to reach him before Blowhole did.

Blowhole got closer.

"No!" I cried Just as Blowhole got him.

Blowhole picked Private up by his scruff. In his other flipper was a syringe filled with a milky white substance. Private tried to struggle, but he was still dazed and confused from crashing into the wall. In the next instant, Blowhole plunged the syringe into Private's neck and the milky substance entered his body.

Abruptly Private stopped struggling. Blowhole tossed him aside ten feet from where I was standing. He didn't look alive. I fell to my knees.

"PRIVATE!" I shrieked.

And then all hell broke loose.

A/N: Ah! I feel so bad doing this to Private! And before y'all leave reviews asking me about it, yes Aly's wounds have healed in one week. If you've watched the new episode, Arch Enemy (which I loved!), then you would've seen that Kowalski was in bandages and barely moving, and later the same day he wasn't! Another good example is the entire episode of Love Hurts. So don't judge me. As always, reviews are welcome. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Good reviews will get s'mores from said marshmallows.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi! Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites guys, you're making my Christmas even better! Here's an endless pile of s'mores for ya! Speaking of Christmas, I plan on publishing my Christmas fic, Christmas in July, next Sunday, so I may or may not get the next chapter of this story up.

Disclaimer- I don't own pom, but it owns me!

Chapter 2: Poisoned Love

"We've been compromised! Initiate man down procedures!" Skipper ordered from across the room.

Everyone finished off the lobsters they were fighting and made their way to Private. Since I was closest, I got to him first. He didn't look good.

I was filled with an inconceivable rage. Anger blurred my vision as I turned to the one responsible. Only one thought clouded my brain: Blowhole was going to pay.

Mary and Kowalski were the first one's to to reach Private and I. Kowalski checked on Private's condition while Mary took on defense. I was still glaring at Blowhole, who was watching the unfolding scene from his moped ten feet above. Blowhole took notice of me and smirked.

"Having fun, human?" He sneered.

"I swear Blowhole, I'm going to kill you for hurting Private!" I growled.

Blowhole chuckled "We'll see about that. _If_ you survive my lobster army, that is.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Skipper and Rico join us. I refused to break eye contact with Blowhole.

"What do you mean '_If_ I survive your lobster army'? In case you haven't noticed, there are hardly any left conscious!" I pointed out.

Blowhole just continued to smirk "That's what you think, pathetic human."

Then he pressed a button on his moped, and the intercom system crackled to life. Blowhole's voice boomed throughout the building "All lobsters to Level Three, Hanger A. NOW!"

There was a deep rumble that shook the whole complex. I heard the familiar noise of lobsters scuttling, but this time it was a hundred times louder. All the entrances to the room shot open, and lobster began pouring in by the dozens.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" I cursed.

"As much as I would love to watch your destruction, I have more important plans right now. Tootles!" Blowhole said as exited the room on his moped.

"I'll get for this, Blowhole!" I threatened.

I felt a flipper on my shoulder. I turned around to discover it was Skipper. He gazed at me with slight concern.

"Come on, cadet, we need to get Private back to HQ."

"But what about Blowhole?" I protested.

Skipper sighed "We'll get him another day."

"But-"

"Enough cadet!" Skipper ordered.

"Fine..." I grumbled.

We joined the others, who were currently fending off the lobsters trying to get to Private. I growled. Skipper had a thoughtful look on his face as he watched the lobsters. Then he glanced back at me.

"Cadet, I want you to take point while the rest of us carry Private back. Can you handle that?" Skipper asked.

"Heck yes." I smirked.

At least I get to take some of my anger out on the lobsters. They won't know what hit them.

I walked over to Rico and tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around and looked at me. I had his attention.

"Rico," I said evilly "Give me my stick."

Rico chuckled psychotically. He immediately obliged and up-chucked two parts of a bamboo fighting stick. I caught the two parts and snapped them together to make one large stick. Having it in two pieces was the only way it could fit into Rico's stomach.

"Thanks dude" I said.

I signaled to Skipper, telling him I was ready. He nodded.

"Alright men and Mary, retreat! Let's get Private and get out of here!" Skipper ordered.

They all finished off what ever lobster they were fighting and grabbed one of Private limbs, hoisting him above their shoulders. I got in front of them, holding my stick in a defensive stance.

"Move out!" Skipper yelled.

We were surrounded by over a hundred lobsters. I would have to fight our way out. I smiled as I began beating the crap out the unsuspecting crustaceans with my stick.

As we found out with training, I wasn't as good at kung fu as I thought I was. But, we also found out, I _was_ really good at the art of Japanese Bo Fighting. Or fighting with a bamboo stick. So far, only Skipper and Rico could defeat me when I was permitted to use my whacking stick.

To say the lobsters didn't stand a chance against me is an understatement. I showed them no mercy. I was furious about what happened to Private, and I seriously needed to vent before I broke down completely. They just happened to be what I was venting on.

Before the lobsters could could even figure out what was going on, I had cleared a straight path to the exit. I let my team go in front of me, getting any lobster that tried to go after them. After they reached the exit, I counted to twenty to make sure they got a good head start before I left the building.

Right before I left, however, a group of lobsters circled me, blocking my way out.

"Yer not going anywhere." One of them said in a gruff voice.

"Oh yeah? Watch this!" I said.

I quickly took care of them, making sure they wouldn't be able to get up for several hours. Then, for good measure, I hit a couple of stranglers before I ran out of the building.

I ran until I caught up to my team, who had already gotten two blocks away. Skipper shot me a look.

"What took you so long?" He demanded.

"I was just making sure those lobsters didn't forget who they were messing with" I replied with a tinge of anger.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Kowalski remarked.

"Uh huh!" Rico agreed.

"You just watch yourself or you could be next." I warned.

I so wasn't in the mood to be messed with right now.

We continued to HQ in silence.

**(Line Break)**

Twenty minuets later...

I fell back into my favorite corner. I was exhausted; not just physically but mentally. We had gotten Private back safely (well, sort of) and now he was being examined by Kowalski in his lab. The others were in there with him.

Now that I was alone, my anger had depleted and left me in state of depression. No, depression was too big of a word. I wasn't depressed, despondent, or disconsolate. I was just plain sad. Was that such a bad thing?

Mary came in the front room looking for me. I was the only one not in the lab. I was afraid that if I had to see Private in his motionless state any longer, I would lose any self-control I had left and breakdown right then and there. Mary spotted me sitting in my corner. She came and sat right next to me, putting her flipper over my shoulder.

"Hey," She whispered cautiously "You OK?"

"No." I choked out honestly. There was no use in lying to her, she could see right through me.

"Oh, come here sweetie." She said, pulling me into a hug.

I gladly returned the hug. I really needed it right now.

"Thanks," I said with a weak smile.

"Anytime." She replied.

Then Kowalski came out the lab, clipboard in hand, accompanied by Skipper and Rico. Mary and I immediately stood up. The solemn expression on Kowalski's face sparked my anxiety.

"Ok Kowalski, you've brought us out here. Now tell us what Private's condition is." Skipper said.

Kowalski looked directly at me "I have good news and bad news, accompanied by more good and bad news. What do you want to hear first?"

I pondered this. I decided to go with the bad news first, so that the good news would seem better.

"Bad news first." I told him.

Kowalski sucked in a deep breath "Private only has approximately two hours to live."

Right then and there I felt as if my heart was torn into two. My vision blurred as I felt my emotions spiraling down. Only one thing held me together.

"What's the good news?" I whispered.

"He's been poisoned. Which means there is an antidote. But-"

I groaned "What?"

"I don't have enough time, or ingredients, to make it" He said sadly.

I buried my face in my flippers. I didn't want to deal with this right now.

"So we're just gonna stand here and watch him die?" Mary asked disbelieving.

"Negative. I still have one more set of news." Kowalski replied.

"Well, don't just stand there looking pretty, spit it out!" Skipper ordered.

"I have found the nearest antidote. But it's back at Blowhole's lair."

A/N: Ugh, the end of this chapter seems way too soap operary. And as always, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hola mi amigos! Ugh, I went to a Christmas party the other day, and to be funny they played the Dora the Explorer theme song. But now I can't get the song out of my head and it's driving me crazier than I already am! Speaking of Christmas, be sure to check out my Christmas fic, Christmas in July. Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I've been having Internet issues. Also, thanks to those of you who reviewed, you're awesome!

Disclaimer- I don't know if I own Pom, let's find out! *picks up phone and starts dialing* (nasal voiced secretary)Hello, Penguins of Madagascar studio, how may I help you? (me) Do I own Pom? (secretary) No! Now stop calling here before we report you to the police... again! *rudely slams phone down* (me) well, there you have folks, I don't own Pom.

Chapter 3: Operation Man Down

"What? Are you sure?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. The second closest antidote is in Buffalo, and even if we took a plane, it is mathematically impossible to secure it before it's too late." Kowalski stated.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Mary exclaimed.

"I wish I was." Kowalski sighed.

"Alright Kowalski, what are our options?" Skipper asked.

Kowalski immediately pulled out his clipboard and pen and started drawing out options. After he finished he held it out for all of us to see.

Kowalski pointed to the first picture, which resembled a group of penguins standing around a grave and said "We can either do nothing, or," he then pointed to a drawing of penguins fighting lobsters "We can sneak back into Blowhole's lab and procure the antidote."

"The first one is not an option to me." Skipper said "It goes against our penguin credo."

"What does being deep fried in bisquick have to do with this?" I questioned.

"Not that credo! I'm talking about never swimming alone! Team, we owe it to Private to do anything we can to save him." Skipper said confidently.

Skipper wore a hard face. Although he wasn't portraying any expression, I could tell he was really worried on the inside. I felt bad for him.

I looked up at Mary. We gave each other a silent nod.

"What's the plan?" We said together.

Skipper gave a small smile "Operation: Man Down. Kowalski, Rico, and Mary, I want the three of you to go with me back to Blowhole's base. There we will quickly and stealthy secure the antidote."

"What about me?" I asked.

Skipper looked directly at me "Aly, I want you to stay here and watch Private."

"What!" I shrieked, I was furious, I wanted to go to Blowhole's lair and kick his butt for hurting Private! I at least deserved that!

Skipper seemed unfazed by my sudden outburst "We need someone to stay behind and watch Private. Not only are you currently emotionally unstable, but your emotions could lead you to do something that could blow our cover. This is a covert mission, and exposure could ruin everything. This is not a risk I am willing to make."

I huffed and crossed my flippers. I wasn't happy about it, but I realized Skipper was probably right. This didn't make me feel any better.

"Fine." I reluctantly agreed.

Skipper nodded at me, then sucked in a deep breath "Come on, team. Let's get moving. The clock is ticking."

And with that, everyone headed for the Private's 1st Prize exit, which I thought was ironic considering the current circumstances. Right before Mary left, she paused and patted me on the back.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to get a few punches in on Blowhole for you. His sorry blubber butt won't even see it coming." She promised.

I smiled weakly "Thanks."

Mary gave me a small hug, then turned around and left too. The door slammed shut with a deafening sound, which only served to remind me how it was.

It was too quiet.

I decided I needed some form of sound to keep me from losing my mind. I really wanted to listen to music. I wonder if the penguins have a radio.

First things first, I wanted to get Private out of the lab and into the front room. Luckily, his table and the heart monitor he was attached to both had wheels. Inch by inch, I slowly pulled him into the main room and in front of the T.V. Then, just to humor him, I turned on the T.V. and changed the channel to the Lunacorns.

"What are we going to do? Eric's in a coma!" A girl pony said to the boy pony. I didn't know enough about the show to know their names.

"We have to give him the antidote," The boy pony said. Weird how coincidental the show was to what was happening in real life.

"Of glitter and sparkles!" He said in a cheerful voice.

Yeah, right. Looks like the coincidences ended there.

I spent the next ten minutes searching the entire HQ for any kind of musical device. They had to have something! I didn't think Skipper was that uptight.

I was checking one of the secret compartments that I'm not supposed to know about when I saw something I thought I would never see again. Sitting right in front of me, gleaming in its dark violet greatness, was my backpack. I hadn't seen it since the night we were first kidnapped by Blowhole. I'd thought it had gotten left behind in the alley, but considering the burn marks all over it, I assumed the penguin's picked it up as evidence when they first brought us to the base.

I half wondered, half hoped if the very thing I was looking for had survived. I unzipped the middle zipper and began searching. I found a half-melted first aid kit, my cell phone- which, miraculously still worked- a notebook that was burned around the edges, and – I found it! My mp3 player! It looked ok on the outside. I held down the power button praying that it would turn on.

After a few seconds of holding my breath in anticipation, the screen flickered to life with the usual welcome message. I cheered and did a victory dance as I put the ear plugs- wait a minute. I'm a penguin now. How am I supposed to put ear plugs in non-existent ears?

I settled for turning the volume up and just holding the plugs up to my ear holes. I had barely pressed play though, when I heard the familiar metal- against- concrete scrape and in dropped in my second least favorite animal.

"Hey! Where are de rest of da slap-happy penguins?" The gray menace asked.

"JULIEN!"

A/N: Sorry the chapters kind of short and crappy, I honestly had no clue where to go with it. It was mostly a filler. Anywhoed, that's it for now, so please review and I will give you a virtual candy cane! And check out my profile, I've put up a new pole! Merry Christmas!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Happy New Year! I've decided I must live under a rock, because I didn't know until 11 pm last night that it was New Years Eve. Also, I realized while I was writing 'It's a Heck of a Town' that I have been neglecting Mary as an Oc, so this entire chapter is going to be in her Pov. From this point on the story's going to switch between what's going on at the zoo and what's going on at Blowhole's lair. Thanks to the ONE review I got, from hipturtle15. Here's a whole mountain of Penguins of Madagascar candy canes for you!

Disclaimer- I don't own anything that did not come to life and crawl away from the depths of my imagination.

Chapter 4: Secret Agent Gal (Mary's Pov)

"Alright Blondie, what's your status report? Over." Buzzed Skipper's voice through the radio clutched in my flipper.

"Blondie? What kind of a codename is that? Over." I replied.

"Just tell us your status!" Skipper said exasperated.

"You didn't say over." I mocked "And I see a bunch of delicious with a side of butter. Over."

"What! Just give me the real report. Over." Skipper said frustrated.

I laughed at his frustration. It was way too easy to give Skipper crap.

"You're no fun." I told him "I'm right above a lab guarded by ten lobsters. I think the antidote's in here. Over."

"Turn the tracker on your walkie talkie on, and we'll meet you over there. Over." Skipper instructed.

"Copy that. Over and out." I replied.

I presses a button on the side of my walkie talkie. The faintest beeping noise could be heard. I held my breath, hoping that it wouldn't be heard by anyone else.

"Hey, what's that noise?" One of the lobsters asked in a gruff voice.

"I think it's coming from up there!" Said another, pointing right up to the vent where I was hiding.

Crap. "Skipper, I'm going to need you guys over here a lot faster than expected." I whispered urgently into the radio.

"You heard the gal! Get your tail feathers to Blondie's location pronto!" Skipper ordered.

I glanced back at the lobsters. They had formed a ladder by standing on top of one another's shoulders, the last lobster reaching up to pull the vent off.

I decided to surprise them. Just as the lobster's claw touched the grille, I jumped on top of it. That caused it to fall through, and the ten lobsters ended up getting crushed under me and it.

I climbed out from on top of the newly made lobster dog pile to discover that the fall had knocked them all out.

"Wicked." I said.

It seems that whenever I'm not around Aly, I become blessed with good luck. Which just proves my theory that she is a bad luck magnet.

Now I just have to wait here until the rest of my slow poke team catches up. I could call and let them know that I'm okay, but I kind of left my walkie talkie up in the vent.

I guess that while I'm waiting, I should probably look around. I don't have a clue what the antidote looked like, but from what I could gather from Kowalski's techno talk, it was in the form of an injection. So I just had to look around for any needles full of liquid.

I fell like a spy. Or better yet, a secret agent! Ominously, I began to hum the theme song to 'Secret Agent Man'.

More like secret agent gal, I thought. I am _such_ a dork.

I heard a noise above me, and suddenly Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico flipped out of the vent and into defensive poses. But as soon as they saw me standing in front of a pile of unconscious lobsters with my flippers on my hips, they loosened up.

Kowalski was the first to confront me "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Do I look okay?" I retorted.

"When all we found was your abandoned radio, we assumed the worst." Kowalski informed me.

"Nah, I'm fine. I just kicked some serious lobster behind." I boasted.

"Nice work here, Blondie." Skipper praised.

"Thanks. Though I owe some of the effort to gravity."

"Huh?" Questioned Rico.

"Don't ask. Just, don't ask." I said.

"Right. Well, on a much lighter note, have you found the antidote yet?" Kowalski asked.

"Nope, considering that I have no clue what it looks like. But I'm pretty sure it's in here." I said.

"There's a ninety-two point seven percent that it's in here. And it should be a syringe filled with a black substance." Informed Kowalski smartly.

I really like it when he acts like a nerd.

"Team, disperse and look for that needle. I don't want any empty flippers." Skipper ordered.

"Yes sir!" I said with a mock salute.

Skipper just rolled his eyes.

We all split up and began searching the corners of the room. It was a really big room, so it was going to take a while.

While I was checking out my area, I fantasized the many ways I could get back at Blowhole for what he did to Private and my 'cuz. See, I knew Aly had feelings for Private the same way he had feelings for her, she just didn't know it yet. And one thing I know, I haven't seen Aly so crushed since we were in fourth grade and-

"Uh uh!" Interrupted Rico urgently.

I quickly belly-slid over to him, where I met Skipper and Kowalski.

"What is it Rico? Did you find it?" Skipper asked.

"Uh huh!" He said as he held up a black filled needle.

Kowalski snatched it out of Rico's flippers and began examining it. He looked at it closely, tapped the glass, shook it, and even went as far as to put a little drop on his flipper and tasted it. Which I thought was pretty strange in upon itself.

"Well?" I prodded.

Kowalski had a thoughtful look on his face "This is the antidote." He confirmed.

"Awesome." I said.

"Now we need to get it back to HQ before Private's time is up." Skipper said.

"How much time do we have left?" I asked.

Kowalski pulled out an abacus "Approximately one hour and fifteen minutes."

I sighed anxiously. Suddenly I heard the quiet whine of a machine and several pairs of lobster feet clanking across the floor of the hallway.

"Someone's coming!" I exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Kowalski, options!" Skipper demanded.

"I suggest we hide." Kowalski said.

"Men, disperse and hide!" Skipper ordered quietly.

I turned around and tobogganed over to a table in the corner. I quickly pulled myself under and pressed my self against the darkest corner. I didn't know where the others hid. I hope they picked good hiding spots.

The door to the lab creaked open. I saw four pairs of lobster feet and the bottom portion of Blowhole's moped. I held my breath.

"What the heck happened in here!" Blowhole exclaimed.

Only too late did I realize that we had forgotten about the pile of unconscious lobsters. We were sure to be caught now.

A/N: Well there's another chapter for ya. I'm going to go work on the Penguins of Madagascar puzzle my Mom got me for Christmas now. Please let me know in a review whether or not you liked Mary's chapter, 'cause there's more of her to come. And please, please, please, please, with a cherry on top, review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Woo who! Four reviews! You guys are so awesome, you all get candy! hipturtle15 gets enough bubblegum to choke a life-sized Hungry Hungry Hippo, DoctorKowalskiBlowhole gets licorice rope so long that you can lasso the moon with it, Captain Cynthia gets the entire Hershey Chocolate factory, and Donakiko gets a candy button mountain! Shipping may take 3-6 light years, but I guarantee it will reach you (eventually). Enjoy your treats and this chapter!

Disclaimer: I DO OWN POM. I DO OWN POM. I DO OWN POM. (I'm hoping that if I type this enough, then it will become true. You know, the whole 'Power of Positive Thinking' thing.) I DO OWN POM...

Chapter 5: Chow Mein is NOT my Main Chow (Aly's pov)

"What happened to de lovey-dovey penguin?" Julien obnoxiously asked as he pointed to Private "Eh, as long as it does not concern da King, which is me, den I do not care. I just came over here to steal - I mean, 'borrow'- da penguins t.v. and food. So be moving along, you are standing in da King's way."

I pinched the bridge of my beak as I let out a sigh of frustration "Julien, in case you tell, right now is not the best time for company. Get out before I force you out. Why don't you go bug Mort or Maurice?" I snarled.

"Eh, no. Da King takes orders from no one, except of course from da Sky Spirits." Julien said as he proceeded to sit in front of the t.v. "Besides, Maurice is too busy making da royal sculpture, and I kicked Mort into the park for touching de royal feet."

Julien leaned against the leg of Private's and started flipping through the channels. I was about to blow up at him, but I decided that it wasn't worth it. Besides, knowing how arrogant Julien is, it probably wouldn't accomplish anything.

That decision, however, was short lived when Julien turned the channel to some noisy cop show.

The HQ suddenly filled with screaming echoes of sirens and men's shouting. It was just enough to spark my anger to the point where I exploded.

"Julien, that's a frakin' enough!" I yelled so loudly that my throat hurt afterwards. I could feel tears coming to my eyes. "I have been through so much today, the last thing I need is an idiotic lemur who can't take a clue that I want to be alone!"

"Um, is this a bad time?" A familiar feminine voice asked from behind me.

I spun around to find Marlene standing in front of the ladder.

"Did you hear me?" I asked, extremely embarrassed.

"I think half of Manhattan heard you." She pointed out. Then Marlene's eyes wandered over to Private, who hadn't moved an inch since being placed onto the table "Oh my gosh! What happened to Private?"

I let out a chocked sigh, but I think it came out more like a sob "I really don't want to talk about it right now. All I want is to be alone. Sorry."

She nodded sympathetically, then went over to Julien, grabbed him by his tail, and half-dragged him to the door.

"Hey, I am watching that! And no one touches da royal tail! Get your unworthy paws off of da King." Julien protested.

"Come in, King Julien, I, um, have have a surprise for you" Marlene offered.

"Oh, a surprise! Why did you not be saying so? Da King loves surprises, especially the surprising kind." Julien exclaimed as he jumped up and rushed out the door.

Marlene followed him but stopped and turned around as she reached the ladder "If it helps any, I've learned that with these penguins, no matter how hopeless the situation seems, everything always turns out okay." She said confidently.

I smiled weakly "Thanks Marlene. I owe you big time."

"Anytime." She said. Then she turned around and climbed up the the ladder, shutting the door behind her.

Once again I am alone. I walked over to the t.v., which is still playing the stupid cop show, and turned it off. Silence instantly enveloped the room, only this time I gratefully welcomed it.

I decided to check on Private. I went to his side and looked him over. He's sweating profusely and his brows are pinched together as if he is in pain. I felt his forehead. He is burning up.

I went into the kitchen and wet a washcloth. Then I walked back over to Private and started dabbing his forehead to make him more comfortable. I hated having to do this, I can't stand to see him like this. Solemnly I closed my eyes and beygan to cry.

No sooner had a couple of tears fallen down my face when a voice, barely above an audible whisper, said "Don't cry, Aly."

My eyelids immediately flew and I glanced down. To my surprise, Private was awake and staring at me. Concern was etched across his face.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" He asked.

I burst out in tears again "How can I be okay when you're dieing?" I sobbed "I'm not as strong as you might think I am, I can't handle something like this happening in my life again!"

Private looked me directly in the eye "Aly, I'll be fine. I promise."

"How can you promise something like that?" I sobbed into his shoulder.

"Because I just know I will. Just like I know the sun will rise tomorrow, or that Alice will always be a grumpy zoo keeper. There are no certainties in life, but some things you just know for sure. And besides, I've survived tougher." Private assured me.

I wiped my tears "Thanks, Private. I needed that." I said gratefully.

I rested my head on his chest. His breathing was slow and ragged, and his heart beat seemed below normal.

"You know, despite everything, I'm actually quite famished." Private said.

I giggled and sat up "Whatever you want, I get it. Just tell me what Private's craving." I told him.

Private closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath as he considered this "Chinese Take-Out." He muttered.

"You got it." I said assuringly.

"Thanks Aly" he said sleepily. Then he let out a huge yawn.

" You just go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when food's here." I said.

"Alright." Private said as he closed his eyes. Seconds later he was asleep.

I chuckled as I grabbed the penguins mobile phone and the Speak-n-Spell, and pressed the speed-dial number.

**(Line Break)**

Thirty minutes later, I was standing outside of the zoo, dressed in the trench coat and hat with the Speak-n-Spell gripped in my right flipper.

I had gone to the fountain and gathered enough change to pay for the food, that of which was in a large burlap sack in front of me.

A car with the Chinese restaurants logo pulled up and a zit covered teenage boy got out. In his arms was a large brown paper bag that was also stamped with the logo.

"Um, are you the one that ordered the chow mien special?" he asked.

"That is correct" said the Speak-n-Spell in a monotone voice.

"Uh, no offense, but aren't you a little small to be ordering Chinese food?" he asked.

"Un, no. No, I'm not. Now, put the food on the ground before I show you why short people have a reputation for bad tempers." I answered into the Speak-n-Spell.

"Ok. That'll be $10.50." he said as he placed the food on the ground.

"It's in the sack. Keep the change."

He picked up the sack, peered into it, then tossed it into the passenger seat of his car.

"Thanks for ordering from Musaki's Chinese Restaurant, please enjoy your meal" he said in a bored tone as he got back into his car.

"Whatever." the Speak-n-Spell belled out.

The boy slammed his door and drove off. I shrugged off the coat and hat, picked up the food and headed back to HQ.

A few minutes later, I hopped down the ladder.

"Private, I'm bac..." I led off.

No sooner had I entered the room, than the deafening buzz of the heart monitor reached my ears, I dropped the food on the ground as I rushed over to Private's bed. There, I came to the horrifying conclusion that Private was missing...

A/N:...I DO OWN POM. I DO OWN POM. Oh, you're done with the chapter already? Well, dare you has it! Chapter 5! And if any of you want tons of candy, all you have to do is review (Hey, that rhymed!)! And I do take requests, so if there's a certain candy you want, just ask!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys, sorry about not updating last sunday, but I have a perfectly good excuse. I'm seriously allergic to dairy, and last weekend I accidently had a chocoalate chip cookie and forgot to take allergy pills. Next thing I know, I'm so sick I'm hugging the floor, and I really didn't feel like typing. Thanks for waiting, and if I can, I will try to get two chapters up today. Also thanks to hipturtle15 for reviewing, she gets to taste the whole rainbow of Skittles!

Disclaimer- racsagadaM fo sniugneP nwo ton od I (read it backwards!)

Chapter 6: Sometimes, I'm a Real Idiot (Mary's Pov)

I hated to admit it, but I was royally screwed! Holding my breath, I watched the bottom half of Blowhole's moped drive over to the pile of lobsters, who were just starting to wake up.

"Red Fifteen, what happened in here?" Blowhole demanded.

The lobster on the top of the pile, who I guessed was Red Fifeteen, blinked several times in confusion then looked up at Blowhole. "I don't know, boss. One minute we was climbing up to investigate a noise we's heard, and the next minute we was falling down."

"You idiots! You knocked yourselves out!" Blowhole screamed angrily "Now _get_ _up_. If Kowalski is half as smart as I am, he will have figured that I have the only avaible antidote by now and the peng-oo-ins are on their way. The _last_ thing I need is a bunch of stupid lobsters knocking themselves out so the peng-oo-ins can sneak in here and get the antidote!"

Well, he didn't think that we, or I guess I, had knocked out the lobsters! That's good. I let out a sigh of relief. As soon as I realized what I did, I covered my mouth with my flippers. How stupid can I be? Please don't hear me. Plaese don't hear me. Plaese don't hear-

"What was that?" Blowhole asked.

Crap!

"Uh, what was what, boss?" Red Fifteen asked.

"I heard something under the table." Blowhole said suspiciously.

Suddenly the moped started up and headed my way. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! Once more I held my breath and was as still as a statue as he neared me. The moped stopped in it's tracks when it hit the edge of table. I could sense Blowhole was about to poke his head under and look. I got into a defensive position, ready to strike him the second he saw me. I wasn't going down without a fight.

Just as I predicted, Blowhole stuck his head under the table. He didn't even get a chance to register that I was there before I sent a hard kick right into his snout. He cried out in pain and shot up, only to hit his head on the bottom of the table. I probably would of laughed if I wasn't in my current situation.

"Lobster, we have an intruder! Attack and capture!" Blowhole spat with anger.

Deciding I would have a better chance of fighting away from the table, I crawled out into the swarm of burly lobsters. Every single one of them was eager for the upcoming violence. That's when the fight began.

I started kicking and punching as many lobsters as I could lay my flippers on. They formed a tight circle around me. I knocked a couple of them out. Luckly for me, most of them were still disoriented from when I fell on them earlier, so they were easy prey.

I had almost taken most of them down. Looks like I'm winning, I thought smartly. That is, until more lobsters, who had probably heard the noise of the fight, came pouring in through the door.

Oh come on! What is with today?

I was starting to lose. Somwhere in the back of my mind I wondered where Skipper and the rest of my team were. Were they just watching me get my butt kicked?

I felt a sense of disappointment as I realized they had probably just left me to fend for myself. What about never swimming alone? Yeah, right. What a joke.

Abruptly one of the lobsters struck out a claw and punched me in the shoulder. I fell back and slapped the concrete hard. I grunted in pain, then jumped back up and continued fighting.

As much as I hated to admit it, I was wearing down. The fight earlier with Blowhole, plus falling down from the ceiling, combined with the fight right now was just too much for my body to handle. Now I know why Skipper trained us so hard everyday.

There was no use in thinking I would somehow defeat all these lobsters on my own, and if the team hasn't shown up by now, they weren't going to come at all. Solemnly, I accepted the fact that I was going to be captured.

I wondered what would happen to me once I was captured. Would Blowhole use me for more of his crazy experiments? Would I be used as bait for Skipper? Would I die? The one comforting thought I had was that if anything happened to me, Aly would get revenge. Whatever she felt about Private being hurt would be multiplied by a hundred. And when she was angry at someone, they would regret making her mad for the rest of their life. I just joped she gave Skipper all he deserved for abandoning me.

All the lobsters suddenly dog-piled on me in one fast rush. With the one ounce of strength I had left, I pushed them off and continued fighting as best as I could.

Then out of the blue, something sharp was slammed down onto my head. That's all it took. I found myself falling into a comforting darkness. One without pain or betraying ex-friends. Just blankness. The last thing I saw before I left reality for this black world was Kowalski staring at me with concern from underneath another table...

A/N: This chapter actually went a lot differently then I originally planned. But I like how it turned out. Have you guys noticed that I like giving the lobster accents? I find it fun, and besides, since they all look alike, it a way to differentiate them. I have two VERY important notices to tell you guys. First, there a petetion at sign . org/sign/stop-the-penguins-of to continue Pom for a fourth season and to get more frequent time slots. Please go to this site and show your support and appreciation to Pom! And two, if you guys haven't read Catastrophe by DoctorKowalskiBlowhole yet, you should. DoctorKowalskiBlowhole is a great author and has written an awsome original story. Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed my chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello my mostly imaginary readers, Pom needs more signatures on the petition! Get your friends, parents, friend's parents, parent's friends, co-workers, siblings, teachers, pets, distant cousins, neighbors, great uncles, and hobo's from the bus stop. Anybody will do, so get signing! Also, this chapter might be a little confusing, but all will be cleared up in the end!

Disclaimer- The nice men in the white coats tell me I don't own Penguins of Madagascar, but Cirilla, the girl - who only **I** can see- tells me not to believe them.

Chapter 7: Pretty Ponies in Rainbow Valley (aka Private's Delusion)

I happily skipped through the fields of wild flowers. I have never felt so free in my life! Bending down for a moment, I picked a white daisy and held it in front of my beak. Instantaneously, I was rewarded with the sweet aroma that faintly reminded me of the flower my mum used to keep when I was just a hatch-ling.

And then, in a swirl of color, a beautiful pony princess appeared by my side. She had magenta fur and deep violet mane and tail. She knelt down in front of me.

"Hello Private, I'm Princess Kim from Rainbow Valley" She said in a perky voice.

"Hello Princess Kim, pleasure to meet you." I greeted as I tucked the daisy behind her ear "But how did you know my name?"

"Everybody in Rainbow Valley knows you, Private! You're like a legend to us there." Alice said brightly.

"Really? Everybody?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah! Want to meet them?"

"I would love to meet everybody! I do like making new friends. But, um, how are we going to get there? I don't see any rainbows anywhere." I said confused.

Kim had a thoughtful look on her face, but it brightened up as the realization hit her. "Oh, I know! I can fly us there! Just hop on my back." she exclaimed.

"You can fly?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah! All the ponies in Rainbow Valley can fly." She said as if it were plainly obvious.

So I carefully climbed onto her back and held onto her hair as reins. Suddenly we were air borne. I looked down to discover that the ground was already fifty feet below us. Kim lurched forward and the ground began to blur. I held on for dear life as we flew into hyper speed.

"Having fun?" She yelled over the wind rushing by my ears.

"I think!" I yelled back.

"Just hold on!" She warned me.

"Oh don't worry! I won't let go!" I said seriously.

And then, in a blink of an eye, we were there. Kim slowed down and I got a good look at the scenery. The sky was a light pink, similar to the color of bubblegum, and there were rainbows everywhere! I could see how it was appropriately christened Rainbow Valley.

The ground was swallowed in lush hills. On top of the biggest hill was giant, light violet castle that looked like it was stolen directly out of a fairy tale. We started descending at a rapid rate as Kim turned toward the castle.

As we got closer, two more ponies flew up to us.

"Hey, Kim! Your mom wants to see you!" Said a cerulean boy pony.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know, Eric!" Kim replied back.

"Kim, where did you go?" Asked the littlest pony, who looked exactly like Kim only about half her size.

"I went to Triangle Meadows, where I met Private." Kim said, indicating over to me as she said it.

After that we landed in a courtyard inside the castle's gates. As I climbed off Kim's back, shaking while I did, I saw both Eric and the tiny pony eyes grow wide in shock.

"Private? You don't mean _the_ Private, do you?" Kim's clone asked skeptically.

"Of coarse I do, silly! What other Private do you know about?" said Kim.

Both ponies looked me over, then suddenly knelt down.

"It is an honor to be in your presence, Sir Private." Eric said in awe.

"Um, what he said." said the little pony, then she added "Oh hey, Kim, you so gotta tell mom about this!"

"And she did request you" Reminded Eric.

"Okay, see you guy's later" Kim sighed "C'mon Private."

She beckoned to two large, stained-wood doors that were propped open. I followed her through into a hall that was decorated in various oil paintings of royal ponies.  
>"Are these your ancestors?" I asked Kim.<p>

"Yep, my family goes back generations. You actually just met my little sister, Becka. She's only ten."

"She seems like a really nice girl." I told her.

Kim laughed out loud "Yeah, right. She's crazy! She likes to put moon sugar in her puff balls!"

I didn't really get why that was funny, but I laughed anyway to be courteous.

Alice abruptly turned to the right and went into another adjoining hallway. I also turned and continued following her. I felt like I was playing 'Follow the Leader' with the way she kept turning unexpectedly. I wondered where we're going?

"We're going to meet with my mom, the queen." Kim said suddenly, as if reading my thoughts.

At this I was surprised. Realization hit like a ton a bricks: I was going to meet a real queen! If only my mum could see me now. Then I started to panic as I realized I didn't have the _foggiest_ idea of how to act around a queen, much less the queen of Rainbow Valley! I hope I don't somehow accidentally insult her. That would most certainly be terrible.

We came up to another set of large double doors, but these were closed. Surrounding the doors were violet, velvet curtains that were tied up with golden ropes. Kim took a deep breath, then pressed a golden knocker to the left of the door.

"You may enter." A feminine voice boomed out.

Kim pulled the door open, then stood there beckoning for me to go in first. I walked into the room, with Kim quickly following after me.

The room itself was amazing. There were violet curtains everywhere, all tied with golden cords. The carpet, which acted like a runway to the throne, was magenta and the softest carpet I had ever walked on. In the middle of the room, sitting on a golden throne, was the queen.

She had light brown fur and blonde mane and tail. She was bigger than Kim, and atop her head was a crown bejeweled with various crystals. She had an air of slight annoyance around her. I gulped.

"Daughter, why do you bother me at this hour?" The queen inquired.

"Mother, may I remind you that it was you who requested me? And I am here to inform you of the presence of Private among us." Alice said formally indicating me.

I was slightly confused as to why her manner of speaking had changed since the hallway, but I decided not to dwell on it.

"Private? Do you speak of the Private from the prophecies?" the queen asked cynically.

"Yes mother, the very same one. He gave me the daisy in the meadows." Kim confirmed.

Then the queen did something I did not expect- she bowed down to me, just as Kim, Eric, and Becka had done earlier. To say I was speechless was an understatement. I had no clue how to compose myself.

"Dearest Private, I must say, I thought I would never get the chance to meet you in my lifetime." The queen said, full of awe "You are a legend among our people."

"I am? But what for?" I asked, surprised.

"You mean you don't know? Why, you star in one of our most ancient, and important, prophecies in the history of Rainbow Land." She said as she indicated to a wall that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. I could of sworn that it wasn't there when Kim and I came in, but I decided I must of just missed it.

I walked over to the wall in awe, too in shock to say anything. It was a tiled painting of a penguin with yellow bars like a sun spreading out behind it. It was holding up a rainbow in one flipper above its head. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked kind of like myself.

"But how do you know it's me?" I asked skeptically.

"Because, dear child, it says your name on the bottom left corner." the queen said patiently.

I immediately glanced down to discover that my name was spelled out in big, black letters. I wonder how I missed that the fist time I looked?

"Nobody to this day can remember what the actual prophecy is. Sadly, it has been forgotten over the years, but the one thing we do know is you're supposed to lead our kingdom to greatness. Private, you are the chosen one." The queen said proudly. ( A/N: I can't believe I'm actually writing this...)

"How am I supposed to lead your kingdom to greatness? I can't even impress the girl of my dreams!" I contradicted. Then I covered my beak with my flippers when I realized I had just yelled at a queen.

I immediately began to stammer out apologies, but the queen held out a hoof signaling me to stop.

"Do not worry about it, my friend. For when the time comes, you will know what to do. And as for the girl, if she truly is the girl of your dreams, then you have no need to impress her. She already likes you, you just need to tell her first."

"But how do you know these things?" I wondered out loud.

"Because I am the queen." She mused.

I decided that arguing beyond that was pointless. I felt like she had been giving me vague answers.

"Private, would you like to travel to the village with me to present yourself to the kingdom? I'm sure the villagers would like love to meet you." Kim said suddenly.

"Uh, sure, why not?" I agreed, slightly relieved to have an excuse to leave. All this was way over my head and was making my brain hurt.

Kim excused us, then we left through the same doors we entered in through. We walked back to the courtyard in silence, Kim guiding me through the enigma of hallways.

We entered the courtyard, which was void of anybody, and immediately Kim got tackled by a pink flash. Surprised, I got into a defensive pose until I realized it was just her little sister.

"Becka, get off of me!" Kim laughed.

"Not until you tell me where you're going!" Becka jokingly threatened.

"We're going to the village." Kim replied.

Becka climbed off of Kim, then said "Okay. I'll see you later"

"You don't want to come with us?" Kim questioned.

"Nah, I'll stay here." Becka responded.

"'Kay. See you later, sis." Kim said "C'mon Private, follow me."

We walked through the courtyard to the castle gates. They were opened up for us and we left the castle grounds. I found myself on top of a twenty feet tall hill, and at the bottom rested a small village.

"That's Rainbow Valley village." Kim informed me "That's where we're headed."

I gazed down the hill. I was about to take the first step down when I heard a very familiar voice call out to me.

"Private, stop!" I heard Aly yell.

I looked around excitedly until I spotted her. Down at the bottom of the hill was a light brown pony with dark brown mane and tail.

"Aly, you're a pony?" I yelled back at her.

"What? Private, you're hallucinating! You're at the top of the clock tower! Don't take another step, I'll be up there in a sec." Aly instructed.

Suddenly, something the queen said to me rang in my head '_If she truly is the girl of your dreams, then you have no need to impress her. She already likes you, you just need to tell her first_'. I knew what I had to do.

"Aly, I have something important to tell you! Wait there!" I replied.

"No, Private! You're not listening to me!"

But I ignored her. Something in the back of my head told me I should of listened to her, but my heart was overriding my logic at the moment. Without another thought, I took a step forward. What I didn't expect, however, was empty space where the ground was supposed to be. Suddenly I lost my balance and found myself falling forward. In a swirl of color, Rainbow Valley vanished and was replaced with the blurring scenery of the zoo. That's when I realized I was falling off the top of the zoo clock tower.

A/N: Good cliffy, yes? This chapter turned out a lot longer than I originally planned, but that's 'cause I had too much fun writing from the pov of a delusional penguin. Hope it wasn't too confusing. Also, forgot to mention this up top, but thanks to DoctorKowalskiBlowhole ( I really try to keep my Blowhole in character) you get an endless pile of Carmel! Fusion Drago (hahahaha... we shall see about Private... I'm feeling kind of cruel) gets a mine of Pop Rocks! And hipturtle15 get not the Grand Master Reviewer award for having the most reviews in all of my stories, but she also hets to own the Skittles company to do with what she pleases. Next up we get to find out what happened to Mary!

I liked this chapter,

how about you?

I liked this chapter

so please review!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: God, it's Valentine's Day already? Where has the year gone? Seems like just last week I watched Blowhole Strikes Back for the first time. Anybody else feel like that? And sorry for not updating in like, two weeks, but for some reason Fanfiction wasn't letting me log in. Thanks Donakiko, hipturtle15, Tenma Matsukaze, and DoctorKowalskiBlowhole for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I would actually be honored if somebody sued me for copyrighting, 'cause that would mean somebody high up at Pom studios would have to read my story. But seriously, don't sue me, all you would get is a really old penny and a LOT of seashells...

Chapter 8: _So _Didn't see That one Coming (Mary's Pov)

The first thing I was aware of as I slowly regained consciousness was a blinding pain in the back of my head. I groaned and sat up, blinking until I could see clearly. The sight in front of me made me groan again.

I was alone in a metal cage in a room with a large monitor. In fact, considering all things, it could have been the same cage Aly and I were in the first time we meet Blowhole except I was pretty sure that one had gotten crushed when the building exploded. Even the large monitor looked familiar. Blowhole obviously had no creativity when it came to design.

I felt the back of my head, where I was hurting, to discover I was bleeding. It was probably Blowhole who delivered the blow that knocked me out.

Ah, great. Just great. What else could make this day worse? My sarcastic question answered itself when my least favorite mammal entered the room on his moped.

"Hello, pathetic human, I see you're awake now." Blowhole said smugly as he came over to the cage.

"Uh yeah, in case you didn't notice, I'm not a human anymore. Thanks to you I'm a penguin. And no, I'm not awake, I just sleep walk and talk." I retorted.

"Mock me if you will, you forget that I have the upper hand here. The peng-oo-ins will try and rescue you. And when they do," Blowhole chuckled "They will have a nice little trap waiting for them."

I crossed my flippers "Yeah, right. What makes you think they'll come after me?" I asked skeptically.

Blowhole looked me dead in the eye "Because they suffer from the same ailment that all you stupid peng-oo-ins suffer from."

"Oh yeah? What?" I asked.

"Compassion." Blowhole sneered.

I gulped, then composed myself "Whatever you say, Big-hole."

"It's Blowhole!" He replied angrily.

Then he must of decided I wasn't worth his time anymore, because he turned away from me and began to stare at the monitor. I wish I could see what was on the monitor, but the cage was placed at the wrong angle to view.

I sighed as I sat down in the farthest corner in the cage away from Blowhole. For once in my life, I didn't know what to do. My so-called friends had ditched me, my cousins crush was about to die, and I was locked in a cage by the most annoying mammal in the world. What is what with my luck?

A door opened up a lobster with a clipboard in his claws walked in.

"What is it, Red One?" Blowhole demanded.

"We checked the entire building boss, and there was no sign of the penguins or the antidote." Red One replied.

At this Blowhole cursed and punched the monitor. I knew it, they left me here. Makes me wonder whatever happened to 'never swim alone'.

"Just make sure to be on the look-out. Those peng-oo-ins could be anywhere or anyone." Blowhole warned through a clenched jaw.

Abruptly there was a loud _Bang! _as several lobsters crashed through the door. When I saw who was leading them I had to do a double-take and rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Standing there like one of the crustaceans in red themselves was Skipper in a lobster suit.

Anyone indeed, I thought quoting Blowhole.

"What is the meaning of this!" Blowhole demanded.

"We were told there was an intruder here, boss." The Skipper-lobster said, perfectly disguising his voice.

"Who told you that?" Blowhole asked.

"Uh, you did, boss" Said a second lobster next to Skipper.

"Yeah, don't you remember?" Asked another lobster in the crowd.

"I did no such thing!" Screeched Blowhole.

"Then how do we know you're not the intruder." Skipper questioned.

"You did say the penguins could be anyone." Red One pointed out.

"Impossible!" Blowhole defended.

"Then prove to us you're not the penguins in a Blowhole suit!" Skipper said. This was followed by a chorus of 'yeahs' from the crowd of lobsters.

I knew the lobsters were stupid. I just hoped they were stupid enough for whatever Skipper's crazy plan was.

"Psst, Mary." A voice whispered suddenly to the left of me.

I looked to my left and saw Kowalski standing next to the cage's door. Immediately I jumped up a raced over to him.

"Kowalski! I can't believe it, I'd thought you guys had left me behind." I told him.

Without saying a word, Kowalski pulled out a an unbent paperclip and began to work on the lock. Ten seconds later I heard a click and the door swung open. I rushed into Kowalski with a hug.

"I would never leave you behind." Kowalski said.

I let go of Kowalski and looked curiously "You said 'I' " I pointed out.

"Uh... you're bleeding." Kowalski said, completely changing the subject.

I smirked at his totally obvious change of subject, but decided to drop it for now.

"Yeah, well that kind of happened when the lobster knocked me out."

Kowalski flinched "I apologize about that, but if we had assisted you at the time, we most certainly would have been captured as well."

I sighed "Yeah, whatever. Just let me know next time so I don't think you guys abandoned me or something, 'kay?"

"I assure you we will. Now we must go meet Rico at the rendezvous pointed." Kowalski said as he beckoned me to follow him.

So we started our escape. As I glanced back at Blowhole I saw that he was in full out battle with the lobsters.

"What about Skipper?" I asked.

"He'll meet us there in a few minutes." Kowalski replied.

"Oh, okay."

Five minutes later, we made it outside without any further troubles. Rico was waiting for us in a nearby alleyway.

"Do you still have the antidote?" Kowalski asked Rico.

Rico nodded vigorously. Then as proof, he barfed it up and held it out for Kowalski to see.

"Isn't that unsanitary?" I asked, slightly grossed out. Even with living with the penguins for a while now I still found it creepy the way Rico could swallow and then puke up anything.

"Not at all. Beyond all scientific explanation, Rico's stomach is completely antibacterial. Even if he were to ingest something covered in deadly bacteria it would come out sterilized. Rico is a science anomaly." Kowalski explained.

I glanced at Rico, who was currently swatting at a fly that didn't exist "Yeah, no kidding. So what do we do now?"

"We wait three more minutes for Skipper. If he doesn't show up in the allotted time we are to continue on without him." Kowalski sighed.

I was horrified "What? No! What about the penguin credo?"

Kowalski sighed again "One thing need to learn about Skipper is he'll always put the team before himself. He would rather we got the antidote to Private before saving him."

"Wow." I gulped. Now I feel really guilty about think Skipper had just ditched me earlier. I hoped he got out of there okay.

Just then, a black and white figure flipped out in front of us. It took me half of a millisecond to realize it was Skipper. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kowalski, how much time do we have left?" Skipper demanded the second his feet touched the ground.

Kowalski pulled out his abacus "Approximately twenty-five minutes, Skipper-sir!"

"Alright men and woman, let's run like the wind!" Skipper ordered.

"Yes, sir!" We all three said at the same time.

And then we all turned to leave. Before Skipper could take another step, though, I grabbed his shoulder. He shot me a questioning look.

"Um, thanks for coming back for me, Skipper." I said, cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

"No thanks required, Blondie." He told me sincerely.

And with that, we left for the zoo.

A/N: Whew! That was one epic chapter! How many of you thought the guys actually left Mary? I hoped that was surprising for you oh so loved readers of mine. Anyway, I can't believe it but this story is drawing to an end. Only one more chapter (two including the epilogue, which is really short.)! Sad face. Also, I'm going to write a Valentine's Day story, but depending on my internet speed it may or may not get uploaded until next Sunday.

More reviews = Author happy

Author happy = faster chapters

Do the math!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey peoples. This is actually the second time I've had to type this chapter. I had it all done last Sunday, and was going to post it, but then I couldn't find it! I checked every computer in the house, every USB, and even my mom's hard-drive, but the chapter had simply ceased to exist. Luckily it was the only chapter that disappeared, and not the rest of the story (next chapter included). Otherwise, I would have had a heart attack and then thrown my computer at a wall (something I threaten to do on a daily basis). But anywhose, it's here now!

Thanks to Tenma Matsukaze, Donakiko, DoctorKowalskiBlowhole, and hipturtle15 for reviews. Also thanks to GoTeamSkipper and for thier reviews on _The Commando Penguin and the HazelEyed Otter_. You guys make my day better!

Disclaimer: *Screams* I DON'T OWN POM, OKAY! WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE? *Instantly calms down* Okay, I'm good now.

Chapter 9: To Catch a Fallen Soldier (Aly's Pov)

"No, Private! You're not listening to me!"

I stared in shocked bewilderment, not believing what I was seeing. I had spent the past thirty minutes practically turning the zoo upside-down looking for Private. Finally, to my horror, I found him standing on top of the clock tower inches from stepping off. And the worst part was that he was delusional!

I knew that I wouldn't be able to climb to the top before Private accidentally stepped off, so I was currently stuck on the ground trying to convince him I'm not actually a pony.

Suddenly Private did something that made my heart lurch in my chest- he stepped off the edge.

Immediately I sprung into action. My legs were already in motion before I even had time to think about what I was doing. Adrenaline pumped through my blood, prompting me to react faster than I thought was possible. The only thought that rang through my head was that I wasn't going to be too late to save Private. Not again.

I mentally calculated where Private was going to land, and directed my body in his path. Then, at the last second, I dove forward with outstretched flippers. I felt his weight fall into my flippers, and then we both met the concrete.

The landing wasn't so pretty for me. Because I carried the momentum of both our falls, I hit the ground and slid forward until the friction ran out. I was careful to keep Private off the ground the whole time so he didn't get scraped up.

I cringed in pain as I slowly got up. The road burn had given me some bad scrapes. But none of that mattered right now, as long as Private was okay. Speaking of which, I went over to Private and helped him get up. He leaned on me for support, barely conscious. I had to get him back inside.

Half dragging him, I slowly but surely led Private back to HQ. Soon, after I had gotten on the inside of the gate at the penguin habitat, he passed out. I lugged him onto my back and carried him the rest of the way, grunting from the strain of the effort.

Did I ever mention how _heavy_ Private is?

Eventually I got him back inside and hooked up to his heart monitor sensors. I noticed how much his heart rate had increased. It was a lot faster than it should have been. That scared me more than you can imagine.

Anxiously I glanced at the clock, figuring out how much time Private had left. He didn't have much.

'_Come on guys_,' I silently prayed '_Hurry up_'.

* * *

><p>About twenty minutes later, I was pacing the room in a panic. Every ten seconds I looked at the clock, begging it to slow down. Where were they?<p>

Suddenly 'Private's 1st Prize' burst open, revealing four penguins as they they rushed into the room. I sighed in relief and we all gathered around Private without a word spoken.

"Did you get the antidote?" I said after two seconds, breaking the silence.

Mary nodded in response. I couldn't help but notice a nasty gash on the back of her head. Curiosity pestered me, but I hushed it for now. I could always ask her about it later.

"Rico, give me the antidote." Kowalski demanded, blindly holding out a flipper in the direction of Rico.

Rico hacked up a long needle filled with black substance and placed it in Kowalski's flipper.

"Now sterilize his left flipper." Kowalski said as he held up said flipper.

Without a seconds pause. Rico obediently licked the entire front of Private's flipper. I stared in disgust.

"Uh..." I protested.

As he moved Private's feathers aside to reveal pink skin, Kowalski explained without even glancing up "I don't have any Isopropyl Alcohol (A/N: rubbing alcohol to anybody who's not a science geek) handy, and it was the fastest way to sterilize the injection site."

That still didn't make any sense to me, but I figured Kowalski knew what he was doing.

Abruptly Private's heartbeat, which until now had been fast, began to drop rapidly. Without another word, Kowalski injected the needle into Private's vein. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Skipper cringe and look away. Now all we had to do was wait for the medicine to kick in.

But something wasn't right, I could feel it. Private's heartbeat continued to drop, barely above a soft thump now. I stared at it worryingly, desperate for it to pick up again.

Suddenly, without any warning, Private flat-lined.

There was no mistaking it. The deafening buzz that seemed to echo was the same sound it had been earlier when Private had ran away. I stared in shock.

"I- I was too late." Kowalski whispered in disbelief.

I burst into tears, my whole body racking with silent sobs. Mary pulled me into a comforting hug, rubbing my back as she did. I just couldn't believe that Private was d- ...no, I couldn't even bring myself to think that word. He couldn't be gone, he just couldn't be! I wanted to believe that this was some cruel joke, and Private's going to spring to life any moment and laugh at me for being so gullible, but something told me that wasn't going to happen. I continued to cry.

In sudden anger Skipper punched the wall, leaving a large indent in the concrete. He then turned away from the table, as if not looking would make it go away.

"Time of death six thirty-three." Kowalski choked out. Even Rico was crying, only his sobs were loud and obnoxious.

In the midst of all our grieving, as if a miracle from the gods themselves, the tiniest of beeps was heard.

Not believing what any of us were hearing, we all turned to the heart monitor's small screen in anticipation. There it was again, another beep!

_Could it be?_ I asked myself.

A continuous string of heartbeats played out suddenly, picking up pace with every passing second. I held my breath, afraid that if I dared to breath, it would all go away. It was almost too good to be true.

Suddenly Private gasped, coming back to life. His eyes fluttered open, and immediately found mine.

"Aly." He breathed. Then his face twisted in confusion "Did I really think you were a pony?"

I let out a choked laugh and burst into tears again, only this time it was tears of joy.

"Welcome back, soldier." Skipper said with a small smile. I could tell he was trying not to cry too.

I rushed into Private with the biggest, tightest hug I had ever given. As I cried into his shoulder, I finally believed for the first time since this whole thing started that everything was truly going to be okay.

And I couldn't have been happier.

The End.

A/N: This is the end... OF ALL HUMANITY! Lol not really, but it is the end of this story *sobs*. I hoped y'all enjoyed reading _Man Down_ as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I've got a question: How many of you guys actually thought Private was dead? I'm curious to find out how many people I fooled. But seriously, I would never kill Private, at least not without having some elaborate plan for him to come back to life. He's my absolute favorite character. Anyway, stay tuned for the Epilogue, which, because of the lateness of this chapter, I promise to have up later today.

Your reviews save virtual puppies! Save a puppy today!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I will never, in the past, present, future, or in my fantasies, own Pom. I just enjoy wishful thinking.

Chapter 10: Epilogue

A black man sitting in a reception area signed the last signature needed on his application. Standing up, he walked over to the receptionist's desk and handed the secretary behind the glass wall his papers. She glanced over each paper, making sure he didn't miss anything. After confirming he didn't, the woman looked up and smiled.

"That's all we needed, thanks hun. Welcome back to Animal Control, _Officer_ X."

"Thanks Caroline. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some penguins I gotta go catch."

A/N: I'm officially calling this story- over! Clicking the finished button now! Whew, can't believe that this is the end. But, since this is so short it doesn't even count as a chapter, I'm going to give you awesome readers a sneak peak at my next story '_The X Cells_'.

"_I finally caught you penguins." X said smugly_

_I didn't know what to do._ _Mary and I were seriously screwed. As I shook in fear of what was going to happen to us, I called out the one name I could think of. Even though I was too far away from the zoo for him to hear me, I had to hope._

"_PRIVATE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs._

_I could only pray he heard me._

A/N: So, hope that was enough to to make you guys bounce in anticipation for my next story. I'm even going to introduce a new O.C.! See you guys then!

I would like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers and readers, without you guys I probably would of abandoned this story a while ago. You guys are so awesome in my book you broke the awesome scale. Thanks again!


End file.
